Two-out hits sink Wacha, Royals' winning streak

April 13th, 2024

NEW YORK -- What a difference a day makes. After scoring 13 runs against the Astros on Thursday afternoon, the Royals’ seven-game winning streak came to an end with a 6-1 loss to the Mets on Friday night at Citi Field.

Last Saturday, Royals right-hander pitched his best game of the season, throwing seven scoreless innings against the White Sox, but he wasn’t so lucky against New York. Wacha gave Kansas City length, going six innings, but allowed five runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Wacha was given a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Salvador Perez swung at a 1-0 pitch and hit a 433-foot solo homer over the left center-field wall -- but it was all Mets after that.

In the bottom of the third, Wacha was able to get two quick outs, but he had problems getting the third out. Wacha had Harrison Bader down in a 0-2 count, but Bader singled to right-center field to keep the inning alive. Brandon Nimmo followed and Wacha couldn’t put him away. On a 2-2 count, Nimmo doubled to right-center field, scoring Bader and tying the game at 1.

An inning later, it looked like Wacha was going to get out of a jam with ease. After Francisco Lindor reached base on a leadoff walk, Pete Alonso quickly hit into a double play. But getting that third out proved difficult once again.

The next four hitters for New York -- Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, Jeff McNeil and DJ Stewart -- reached base on singles and scored two more runs.

“It was really an unusual inning. Two of the four hits were on first pitches -- not really hard-hit balls. They found holes. Sometimes that happens,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “They got some big two-out hits. Those are backbreaking at times, especially when they are two outs and two-strike hits. [But] if you put up one run, it’s going to be tough to win.”

In the fifth, Wacha just needed one more out to get out of the inning, but Baty doubled over the head of Kyle Isbel in center field, scoring Nimmo and Lindor.

“I was making some quality pitches, but the [Mets] came out swinging. They were ready to rock. They were able to find holes whenever they put it in play,” Wacha said. “I felt I was close to getting out of those innings. The [RBI] hits all came on two outs. Those are the ones that sting a little bit whenever you are one pitch away from getting out of the inning unscathed. They ended up putting some runs on the board.”

Kansas City’s offense didn’t go bonkers on Friday either. After collecting 16 hits the previous afternoon, the Royals managed just three hits on Friday. Mets right-hander Luis Severino held the Royals to one hit in five innings.

“Severino kept us on the end of the bat. We didn’t square up on a whole lot of pitches,” Quatraro said. “We had a couple of opportunities with the walks when he lost the zone a little bit. But we just didn’t capitalize."

Quatraro said the Royals are going to put Friday’s game behind them because they have to quickly play an afternoon game at Citi Field on Saturday.

“The best thing about it is, it’s a day game,” Quatraro said. “We’ll be back here early and we’re ready to go.”